OSA #3SSB Notes From Friday
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16U The Crusaders got off to a slow start against Southeast Elite Friday afternoon, trailing by double digits for a majority of the first half. Tate Odvody Tate Odvody 6'4" | SF Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE and Jake…
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The Crusaders got off to a slow start against Southeast Elite Friday afternoon, trailing by double digits for a majority of the first half. Tate Odvody Tate Odvody 6'4" | SF Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE and Jake Brack Jake Brack 6'8" | PF Omaha Skutt | 2023 State NE were playing good post defense, but there wasn’t much else to write home about.
Roughly midway through the first half, Josiah Dotzler Josiah Dotzler 6'3" | CG Bellevue West | 2023 State #225 Nation NE flipped the switch for OSA, ratcheting up the tempo and putting pressure on the rim. Dotzler started spraying outlet passes to streaking teammates, or sprinting it up the court himself. This led to several easy buckets which jump started his team. Pryce Sandfort Pryce Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee Northwest | 2023 State #123 Nation IA got himself going courtesy of a few setups from Dotzler, and when shots started falling for Pryce, that was when the game flipped.
Sandfort is a competitor in every sense of the word. When he smells blood or senses a challenge from an opponent, he takes it personally and attacks right back. His shot began to fall, and when the Southeast Elite defense tried getting physical with him, he had no issue handling the contact and getting to the rim or hitting the midrange jumper.
Tate Odvody Tate Odvody 6'4" | SF Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE deserves a lot of credit for his performance, too. Defenses started to shade towards Pryce and collapse on Dotzler’s rim attacks, and Odvody had some excellent cuts into open space. When the ball didn’t find him, he attacked the glass and earned himself extra possessions, or at the very least prevented an immediate transition push from the opponent.
OSA 16U 3SSB had to compete hard in the second half to maintain their lead, but emerged victorious in the end by a score of 71-66. They face K-Low Elite in the second round tomorrow at 12:45 PM at the Iowa West Field House
17U
This one looked like a complete mismatch from the pre-game warmups. OSA 17U 3SSB faced the Compton Magic, a lineup filled with strong, long, athletic bodies, the most talented being the 5-star Sierra Canyon PF Kijani Wright.
At halftime, OSA trailed 40-25, and it did not even feel that close. Sure, there might have been a talent gap, but the Crusaders were also getting outworked and out-executed. PJ Davis PJ Davis 6'2" | SG Omaha Central | 2022 State NE was providing some good energy on defense and on the glass, but there were not many other positives.
Throughout the second half, though, OSA cut down on their turnovers, increased their defensive intensity, and their open shots began to fall. Ruot Bijiek Ruot Bijiek 6'8" | PF Valley | 2022 State IA , who was overpowered in the first half by the Compton Magic size, made an adjustment and used his leverage to better defend the rim. I’d say Bijiek played the 5-star Wright to a draw in the second half. His blocks and forced misses led to leak outs and transition opportunities that OSA capitalized on. The Crusaders slowly chipped away at the lead by playing it one possession at a time. Josh Dix Josh Dix 6'5" | SG Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2022 State #149 Nation IA heated up a bit, and with less than a minute left he was fouled on a three-point shot. He converted all three to cut the deficit to 4, but the score remained 68-64 for the remainder of the game.
It was a gutsy effort, but OSA ultimately came up short against a talented opponent. They match up against Wildcat Select at 10:15 AM on Saturday at the Field House.
15U
The 15U team played their first game down the street at the Mid-America Center, and I was not in attendance. They defeated REACH 2024, 64-53, and will play the Arkansas Hawks Saturday at 3:15 PM. This game will be at the Field House, so I will have notes on that one tomorrow night.